Method and system for identifying data locations associated with real world observations

ABSTRACT

A method and system for identifying data locations or uniform resource locators associated with physical observations in the real world. The method and system includes selecting certain physical parameters based upon an observation of real world objects and events and associating such physical parameters with data locations on the Internet or other computer network. When the real world object is observed or a real world event occurs, physical parameters relating to the object or event are sensed and recorded. These stored physical parameters are then communicated to a database, which returns a data location corresponding to the observed physical parameters. Thus, the present invention allows a user to “click” on objects or events in the real world in order to find data locations related to the objects or events in the on-line world.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and system for sensingphysical parameters corresponding to an object or event in the physicalworld and, based on the observed physical parameters, retrieving a datalocation on a computer network pointing to information associated withthe physical world object or event.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The increasing use of wide area networks such as the Internet hasresulted in an explosion in the provision of on-line services. Computerusers can access a vast wealth of information and services by utilizinga wide area network to establish a connection with other computersconnected to the network.

The Internet is a global network of millions of computers belonging tovarious commercial and non-profit entities such as corporations,universities, and research organizations. The computer networks of theInternet are connected by gateways that handle data transfer andconversion of messages from a sending network to the protocols used by areceiving network. The Internet's collection of networks and gatewaysuse the TCP/IP protocol. TCP/IP is an acronym for Transport ControlProtocol/Interface Program, a software protocol developed by theDepartment of Defense.

Typically, the computers connected to a wide area network such as theInternet are identified as either servers or clients. A server is acomputer that stores files that are available to other computersconnected to the network. A client is a computer connected to thenetwork that accesses the files and other resources provided by aserver. To obtain information from a server, a client computer makes arequest for a file or information located on the server using aspecified protocol. Upon receipt of a properly formatted request, theserver downloads the file to the client computer.

The World Wide Web is a system of Internet servers using specifiedInternet protocols and supporting specially formatted documents. TheHyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the underlying protocol used bythe World Wide Web. HTTP defines how messages are formatted andtransmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take inresponse to various commands. The other main standard of the World WideWeb is Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML), which covers how documents andfiles are formatted and displayed. HTML supports links to otherdocuments, as well as graphics, audio, and video files.

Users access the content contained on the Internet and the World WideWeb with an Internet Browser, which is a software application used tolocate and display web pages. Files on a web server are identified by auniform resource locator. A Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) is theglobal address of files and other resources on the Internet. The addressindicates the protocol being used and specifies the IP address or thedomain name where the file or resource is located. Typically, a URLidentifies the name of the server and the path to a desired file on theserver. For example, a URL for a web server may be constructed asfollows: “http://<server>/<filepath>”, where <server> identifies theserver on which the file is located and <filepath> identifies the pathto the file on the server. Thus, with the name of the server and thecorrect path to a file, a properly formatted URL accesses a desired fileon a server connected to the World Wide Web.

As one can imagine, there are myriad documents and files accessible overthe Internet. However, as discussed above, retrieving desiredinformation on the Internet requires knowledge of an associated URL.Accordingly, if, for example, a consumer wishes to obtain informationabout or order a particular company's product on the World Wide Web, shemust know the URL (data location) corresponding to that company's website.

Conversely, if a corporation desires the public to visit its web sitecontaining information about its products, it will typically advertiseits web site and corresponding URL in television, radio, print or othermedia. A consumer may then enter this URL, assuming he remembers it,into a browser and access the web site.

When a specific URL or data location is not known, search engines are away of locating desired information. Typically, a user enters key wordsor search terms into a search engine, which returns a list of URLscorresponding to web sites or USENET groups where the key words orsearch terms were found. Often a search engine will return a large listof web sites, through which the user must wade in order to locate thefew web sites relevant to his query.

Due in part to the proliferation of commercial web sites, consumers havebecome accustomed to the notion that there is a corresponding web sitefor the vast majority of products and services being commerciallyoffered. Yet, as described above, access to a particular web site on theInternet, requires knowledge of the actual URL or access to a searchengine. This becomes problematic, however, when there is no immediateaccess to a computer connected to the Internet. For example, when aradio listener hears a song on the radio and desires more informationabout it, he must remember the song title and the artist.

Later, the listener can enter the song title or the artist as searchterms in a typical search engine. Beyond this method, there are noalternative ways of identifying data locations or URLs based upon anobservation of a particular product or event. In light of the foregoing,it can be seen that a need exists for alternative methods of identifyingURLs or other data locations on a computer network.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and system for identifying datalocations or uniform resource locators associated with physicalobservations in the real world. The method and system includes selectingcertain physical parameters based upon an observation of real worldobjects and events and associating such physical parameters with datalocations on the Internet or other computer network. When the real worldobject is observed or a real world event occurs, physical parametersrelating to the object or event are sensed and recorded. These storedphysical parameters are then communicated to a database, which returns adata location corresponding to the observed physical parameters.

Thus, the present invention allows a user to use an appropriate sensingdevice to merely mark or key in on objects or events in the real worldin order to find data locations related to the objects or events in theon-line world.

In a preferred embodiment of the system of the invention, one observedphysical parameter is the channel or carrier frequency of a broadcast.The system includes a means for sensing the channel or carrier frequencyof the broadcast. As set forth in more detail below, the means foridentifying may be a remote device or “clicker” that uses a chirp signalto identify the channel or carrier frequency of the broadcast. Thesensing unit may also be a hand-held, laptop, desktop, or other computerprogrammed to contain a list of available broadcasts that can beselected by the user. The system further includes a computer databasehaving stored associations between these physical parameters (here, thechannel or frequency of the broadcast) and one or more data locations,uniform resource locators, or Internet addresses. Thus, when the sensingmeans identifies and provides the channel of a broadcast, the computerdatabase selects the corresponding uniform resource locator, Internetaddress or other data location. The system thus enables theidentification and selection of an Internet address containinginformation corresponding to the broadcast, even though neither thebroadcast nor the user provides an explicit Internet address.

In other preferred embodiments, the sensing means also includes a clockor other means for identifying the time, so that the physicalobservation may include a set of physical parameters including not onlythe channel of the broadcast, but also the time of the broadcast.Furthermore, the sensing means may include computer memory or otherstorage means for storing the channel and time so that these physicalparameters may be provided to the computer database at a later time.Alternatively, the memory may store the Internet address provided by thedatabase.

One aspect of the present invention includes a “clicker” or sensing unitfor sensing physical parameters associated with the operation of a radioreceiver. In one embodiment, the physical parameters include thefrequency to which the radio receiver is tuned. The clicker includes atransducer for transmitting a chirp signal to the radio receiver duringa chirp transmission time. A chirp signal is an audio signal modulatedat a range of carrier frequencies during a chirp transmission time in apredetermined manner. The carrier frequency of the chirp signal variesover a range that includes the possible channels to which the receivermay be tuned. For example, in the FM radio frequency band, the chirpsignal may vary from about 88 to 108 megahertz. The clicker alsoincludes a receiver for receiving the audio output of the radioreceiver. When the frequency of the chirp signal enters the range of thebroadcast channel to which the radio receiver is tuned, the radioreceiver receives and processes the chirp signal, thereby producing acorresponding output. The chirp receiver detects the audio output of theradio receiver. The clicker also includes a detector coupled to thechirp receiver for generating a detector signal when the detectordetects the audio output corresponding to the chirp signal. Accordingly,the frequency of the chirp signal at which the detector signal isgenerated identifies the channel or frequency to which the radioreceiver is tuned.

According to the present invention, a listener to a radio broadcast on aradio receiver may use the clicker to identify the channel of thebroadcast by pressing a button on the clicker to initiate a chirpsignal. The clicker then operates as discussed above to identify thefrequency to which the radio receiver is tuned.

In yet other embodiments, the clicker includes the ability to identifyand record other concurrent physical parameters, such as the time whenthe clicker or chirp signal is activated. For example, the clicker mayinclude a real-time clock that provides a clock signal corresponding tothe time the listener presses the clicker to initiate the chirp signal.Preferred embodiments of the clicker also include memory to store thechannel or frequency of the broadcast and the time the listeneractivated the chirp signal, as well as means for transmitting thechannel and time to the database of the present invention.

Other embodiments of the clicker for use in connection with a radioreceiver include a “passive” sensing mechanism. The clicker of thisembodiment includes a transducer for receiving the output of a radioreceiver. The clicker also includes a first receiver for receivingmodulated radio signals and a circuit for demodulating the radio signalinto a demodulated signal with respect to a range of frequencies. Theclicker further includes a detector for detecting a correlation betweenthe audio output of the radio as provided by the transducer and thesecond demodulated signal processed by the demodulating circuit.

The database corresponding to the clicker described above may includeInternet addresses or other data locations specific to a particularchannel or frequency and a range of times. For example, the listener maybecome interested in the subject matter of a particular radioadvertisement broadcast on a radio channel. According to the invention,the listener activates the clicker, which identifies and stores inmemory the frequency to which the radio receiver is tuned and the timethe clicker was activated. This information is transmitted to thedatabase, as more fully described below, to identify the Internetaddress associated with the observed broadcast frequency and time and,hence, the radio advertisement. Thus, an Internet address associatedwith the time and channel of the broadcast may be determined even thoughaccess to the Internet is not available at the time of the broadcast andeven though no Internet address is given. Moreover, the device describedabove allows the listener to essentially perform a search of theInternet without articulating a query and entering it into a searchengine.

One skilled in the art will readily recognize that other embodiments ofthe invention for use in other contexts are possible. For example, thephysical observation may include physical parameters such asgeographical location, sound, voice, image, bar code or other event.Furthermore, the identifying means may include a telephone, televisionremote control unit or task bar application on a computer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart diagram illustrating several embodiments of thepresent invention for use in the radio broadcast context.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a first preferred sensing unitfor identifying the frequency to which a radio receiver is tuned.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a second preferred sensing unitfor identifying the frequency to which a radio receiver is tuned.

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of a hand-held computer which has beenconfigured according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart diagram illustrating the general process stepsperformed by a first preferred server of the present invention asapplied to the radio broadcasting context.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating an embodiment of thesystem of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a third preferred sensing unit for identifying thefrequency to which a radio receiver is tuned.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As discussed above, the present invention provides methods andapparatuses for identifying a data location based upon physicalobservations in the real world. The method and system generally includeidentifying one or more physical parameters corresponding to physicalobservations of real world objects or events and associating suchphysical parameters with data locations. Another aspect of the presentinvention identifies data locations based upon physical observations.The method of this aspect of the present invention generally comprisessensing physical parameters associated with physical objects or eventsand transmitting the observed physical parameters to a database, whichincludes associations between these physical parameters and one or moredata locations.

The present invention is applicable to the radio broadcast context.According to the invention, a radio listener is provided with afrequency sensing unit, which the listener activates when he/she hears asong or advertisement that is of interest. The sensing unit observes thefrequency to which the radio is tuned. In preferred form, the sensingunit also observes the time the listener activated the sensing unit. Thesensing unit is then operably connected to a database server of thepresent invention such that it transmits the observed physicalparameters for identification of a data location or URL.

The database according to this embodiment of the present inventionincludes a list of data locations or URLs which relate to certain radiobroadcasts. These data locations or URLs, for example, may point to theweb site of a recording artist or a record label. The data location mayalso point to the web site of a corporation that advertises over aparticular radio station. Associated with each of these data locationsare the physical parameters of broadcast frequency and time. Morespecifically, the database of the present invention is arranged suchthat certain physical parameters or ranges of physical parameterscorrespond to each data location. For example, a particular datalocation pointing to a recording artist will have associated with it thefrequency of the radio broadcast and the time(s) during which one ormore of his songs was played. Therefore, when a listener hears thatrecording artist or song on the radio and desires more informationrelating to it, he simply activates the sensing unit. The sensing unitsenses and stores the frequency of the broadcast and time of activation.This information is transmitted to the database of the presentinvention, which identifies a data location and transmits the datalocation to the listener. In this manner, the listener has gatheredphysical parameters from the real world off-line and subsequently usedthe physical parameters to search for information corresponding to thesephysical parameters on the Internet. Furthermore, unlike prior artsearch engines, the listener has performed a search without everarticulating any search terms. Additionally, the search terms used bythe listener comprised physical parameters (time and frequency, in thiscircumstance) corresponding to the occurrence of a song in the realworld. Such search terms would be meaningless to prior art searchingtechniques and systems.

In one preferred embodiment, the database is arranged into a series ofrecords each having four fields. The four fields include 1) the radiostation or broadcast frequency, 2) the name of the song oradvertisement, 3) the start time of the song or advertisement, and 4)the artist or entity associated with the song or advertisement and adata location. Other preferred databases include a fifth fielddesignating the type of item stored in the record, i.e., whether therecord represented a song or an advertisement. In a preferred form, therecords of the database are arranged such that the record with thelatest start time value with respect to each broadcast frequency isscanned first. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the server ispresented with a broadcast frequency/radio station and a time, it scansthe database for the most recent record whose frequency/radio stationmatches the query and whose start time is anterior to the time presentedby the query. If the server finds a record matching the user's query, itreturns at least one data location or URL associated with these physicalparameters.

Delivery of the data locations can be accomplished in a variety of ways.The data locations can be delivered via e-mail, fax, or even regularmail. The data location may also be delivered as part of an HTMLdocument and accessed by the user's Internet browser. The data locationmay also be delivered as an Internet browser bookmark. The data locationmay further be stored in a user-specific account file on a serverconnected to the Internet. A user may access the account using anInternet browser and click on the data location to access thecorresponding web site.

The sensing unit for use in the radio broadcasting example describedabove may comprise any suitable unit for recording a frequency and anactivation time. FIG. 1 illustrates some of the methods and systems forcapturing physical parameters associated with radio broadcasts andidentifying associated data locations. As more fully described below,the sensing unit could observe the frequency to which the listener'sradio is tuned. In other embodiments, the sensing unit is a hand-heldcomputer programmed to display a listener's favorite radio stations.When the listener hears something that is of interest, he simply tapsthe screen on the icon representing the radio station to which he islistening. The sensing unit is also incorporated into a general purposecomputer as a task bar application. The present invention alsocontemplates the use of a telephone as a sensing unit.

In some preferred embodiments, the sensing unit itself captures thefrequency of the broadcast. More specifically and in one preferredembodiment, the sensing unit, when activated, emits a chirp signal overa range of frequencies and monitors the output of the radio receiver todetect the frequency to which the radio receiver is tuned. As shown inFIG. 2, a first preferred sensing unit 10 generally comprisesmicrocontroller 12, frequency synthesizer 14, real-time clock 16,activation button 18, and microphone 20. Sensing unit 10 furtherincludes a suitable power unit, such as a battery (not shown).

Microcontroller 12 includes frequency bus 22 and signal bus 24, both ofwhich connect to frequency synthesizer 14. Microcontroller 12 sends acarrier frequency over frequency bus 22 and a chirp signal over signalbus 24 to frequency synthesizer 14. As is conventional in the art,frequency synthesizer 14 emits a chirp signal over the carrier frequencyspecified by microcontroller 12. Frequency synthesizer 14 can be anytunable modulator known in the art. In the first preferred embodiment,sensing unit 10 works in conjunction with a conventional FM radioreceiver. Accordingly, frequency synthesizer 14 is a tunable frequencymodulator.

As alluded to above, sensing unit 10 emits a chirp signal over a rangeof frequencies to detect the frequency to which the listener's radio istuned. In a preferred form, the listener activates sensing unit 10 bydepressing button 18. Microcontroller 12 starts at the lowest carrierfrequency in the FM radio band (about 88 megahertz) and directsfrequency synthesizer 14 to emit a chirp signal. Microcontroller 12 isthen programmed to wait for a pre-determined amount of time. If thelistener's radio 30 is tuned to this frequency, its audio output willcorrespond to the chirp signal. Microphone 20 senses the audio output ofradio 30 thereby allowing microcontroller 12 to detect a correspondencebetween the audio output of radio 30 and the chirp signal. If, after thepre-determined amount of time, microcontroller 12 detects nocorrelation, microcontroller steps the carrier frequency up to the nextpossible carrier frequency according to the frequency spacing of theparticular radio band and directs frequency synthesizer 14 to emitanother chirp signal. This process is repeated until microcontroller 12detects the chirp signal in the audio output of radio 30. When acorrelation is detected, microcontroller 12 stores the correspondingcarrier frequency and time from real-time clock 16 in memory.

The chirp signal may comprise any suitable signal. In the radio context,the frequency of the chirp signal is limited by the bandwidth of eachchannel. In preferred form, the chirp signal is a tone having a primaryfrequency between about 400 to 3000 Hz. The tone is preferably pleasingto the ear as it is within the audible range. The duration of the chirpsignal, in one preferred embodiment, is about 10 milliseconds. Inaddition, microcontroller 12 is programmed with a delay of a 10millisecond delay to allow for recognition of the chirp signal in theaudio output of the radio. Of course, the chirp signal duration anddelay between chirp signals provided above are merely examples and areonly limited by the constraints of the hardware and software being used,and the propagation time required for the audio output of radio 30 toreach microphone 20. In the case of sensing a frequency in the FM band,the strength or power of the chirp signal emitted from sensing unit 10must be sufficient to “overpower” the radio signal of the broadcaststation to which the FM receiver is tuned.

In addition, microcontroller 12 can be programmed to reduce the timeduring which it seeks for the desired frequency. In one embodiment,microcontroller 12 is programmed to store the carrier frequency of thelistener's favorite radio stations and to start with these frequenciesbefore stepping through the entire frequency band. In other embodiments,sensing unit takes advantage of the side bands in the power spectra ofthe chirp signal. In this embodiment, microcontroller 12 begins with thenext-to-lowest frequency in the radio band and steps through every twopossible carrier frequencies. Of course, the power spectra of the chirpsignal must have sufficient power in the sidebands to overpower theradio broadcast signal. If microcontroller detects a correspondencebetween the audio output of radio 30 and the chirp signal, it steps thecarrier frequency down or up to seek a stronger radio output signal.

Sensing unit 10 also includes a means for transmitting stored physicalparameters to a user's computer or directly to the server of the presentinvention. FIG. 6 illustrates the system of the present invention wherestored physical parameters are transmitted to a client computerconnected to the Internet. The client computer accesses the server ofthe present invention and transmits a data location request. In thefirst preferred embodiment, sensing unit 10 includes speaker 26 fortransmitting the stored physical parameters to the listener's computer.Microcontroller 12 is programmed to distinguish between a shortdepression of button 18 and a long depression. A short depression ofbutton 18 causes activation of sensing unit 10 to detect and store afrequency and activation time as described above. A long depression ofbutton 18 causes transmission of stored physical parameters throughspeaker 26. The microphone input of the listener's computer receives theaudio output of microphone 26. The listener's computer is programmed tostore the data and to access the database of the present invention toidentify a data location or URL that corresponds to the observedphysical parameters. Of course, any suitable data transmission meanscould be used, including but not limited to infrared devices andhard-wired connections.

The listener's computer can be any conventional personal computer knownin the art. In one preferred embodiment, the listener's computer isconnected to the Internet via a dial-up connection or through a networkline. Such communication could also be wireless. The listener's computeris further programmed, as discussed above, to receive at a standardmicrophone input the audio signal emitted by the sensing unit 10 and totransmit these observed physical parameters to the database of thepresent invention. In other preferred embodiments, the database of thepresent invention is not connected to the Internet. In this instance,the listener's computer includes appropriate communications software anda modem to access the database. In either of these embodiments, thelistener's computer may also be configured to transmit a useridentification number and password before access to the database ispermitted.

Sensing unit 10 can also communicate directly to the database of thepresent invention. In this embodiment, the listener directly dials theserver and, when prompted, depresses button 18 to transmit the storedphysical parameters to the server through speaker 26 to the microphonein the telephone handset. In this embodiment, sensing unit 10 could alsobe configured to transmit a user identification number and passwordalong with the stored physical parameters. Upon verification of theuser's identification and password, the server uses the stored physicalparameters to search the database for associated data locations or URLs.The server can then send any identified data locations to the user'se-mail account or back to the sensing unit.

Sensing unit 10 can be incorporated into a variety of devices. Forexample, sensing unit 10 comprises a stand-alone unit and is smallenough to be used as a key chain similar to keyless remote systems forautomobiles. Sensing unit 10 can also be incorporated as an additionalfeature of a common hand-held or other portable computer.

FIG. 3 illustrates a second preferred frequency sensing unit of thepresent invention. The second preferred sensing unit, rather thanemitting a chirp signal, demodulates radio signals with respect to arange of frequencies and compares the demodulated signal to the observedaudio output of the radio receiver. As FIG. 3 shows, sensing unit 110generally comprises microcontroller 112, receiver 114, real-time clock116, activation button 118, and microphone 120.

As described above, when the listener desires more information relatingto a particular broadcast, she presses activation button 118 to energizesensing unit 110. Microcontroller 112 through data bus 122 tunesreceiver 114 to the lowest carrier frequency in the FM band. Receiver114 delivers the demodulated signal to microcontroller 112.Microcontroller detects the correlation, if any, between the audiooutput of radio 130 as captured by microphone 120 and the demodulatedsignal delivered by receiver 114. If no correlation is detected,microcontroller 112 tunes receiver 114 to the next available carrierfrequency and compares the demodulated signal to the audio output ofradio 130. This process is repeated until microcontroller 112 detectsthe requisite correlation. When the correlation is detected,microcontroller 112 stores the frequency at which the correlation wasdetected and the time, as provided by real-time clock 116, suchcorrelation was detected. This information is then communicated to thelistener's computer through speaker 126 as discussed above.

FIG. 7 shows a third preferred embodiment of the sensing unit of thepresent invention. The third preferred embodiment transmits a chirpsignal to the listener's radio receiver as in the first preferredembodiment, but includes different frequency modulation means. The thirdpreferred embodiment generally comprises microcontroller 312, real-timeclock 314, low-pass filter 316, multiplier 318, amplifier 320 andoscillator 322. Real-time clock 314 keeps accurate track of time basedon the oscillation of a 32.567 KHz quartz, as is conventional in theart.

Oscillator 322 of the third preferred embodiment is an outsideresistor-capacitor circuit, that generates a clock signal formicrocontroller 312, as is standard in the art. However, unlike priorart devices, the reference voltage for oscillator 322 is the output oflow-pass filter 316, which filters a pulse-width modulated signal frommicrocontroller 312 to extract the average voltage of the signal overits period. Accordingly, a signal having a larger duty cycle yields ahigher output voltage from low-pass filter 316. Therefore, as oneskilled in the art will recognize, the frequency of the clock signalprovided to microcontroller 312 depends upon the duty cycle of thesignal from microcontroller 312.

The signal output from oscillator 322 is also provided to multiplier318, which multiplies the frequency of the signal to achieve the desiredresult. In the third preferred embodiment, oscillator 322 is configuredto run at a predetermined range of frequencies including 4 megahertz.Therefore, if the oscillator output frequency is 4 megahertz, forexample, 25-times frequency multiplication achieves a signal having afrequency of about 100 megahertz, which lies within the FM radio band.Of course, different frequencies are achieved by varying the outputfrequency of oscillator 322. As one skilled in the art will recognize,other clock speed and frequency multiplication parameters can beapplied. In the third preferred embodiment, this multiplication occursin two stages of 5-times multiplication to reduce the constraints andcosts of the filters used for multiplication. Each multiplication stageinvolves filtering for the fifth harmonic of the signal. In the thirdpreferred embodiment, a Schmitt trigger is used to condition the signaloutput of oscillator 322 and achieve a signal having a square waveformin order to maximize the power in the harmonics of the signal. The fifthharmonic of the square wave signal is filtered in a first multiplicationstage. In the second multiplication stage, a second filter isolates thefifth harmonic of the waveform resulting from the first multiplicationto achieve the desired frequency multiplication.

Amplifier 320 amplifies this frequency-multiplied signal and transmitsit to the listener's radio. Thus, similar to that described above, theduty cycle of the signal provided by microcontroller 312 to low-passfilter 316 also controls the frequency of the signal ultimatelytransmitted to the listener's radio receiver. For each carrier frequencythere exists a corresponding pulse width or duty cycle. Accordingly, totransmit a chirp signal (e.g. a 400 Hz tone) over a particular carrierfrequency, microcontroller 312 modulates the pulse-width or duty cycleof the signal corresponding to a particular carrier frequency accordingto the 400 Hz chirp signal.

Additionally, identifying the exact speed of microcontroller 312requires certain calibration steps. This involves running a program andtiming it using real-time clock 314. Real-time clock 314 interrupts theprogram after a specified amount of time (1 second for example). Thespeed of the processor is derived by counting how many instructions theprocessor executed in the specified time. In one preferred embodiment,this count is simplified by using a program whose sole function is toincrement a counter. This processor speed is then multiplied asappropriate to yield the resulting carrier frequency. In the case of thethird preferred embodiment, the ratio of the frequency of oscillator 322to the internal clock speed of microcontroller 312 is 1:4. Therefore,the processor speed is divided by four and multiplied by twenty-five toyield the resulting carrier frequency. The device is calibrated byrunning the processor at a low speed (88 megahertz/25, for example) anda relatively high speed (108 megahertz/25) and then comparing theobserved frequencies with the intended frequencies.

Other than as set forth above, the third preferred embodiment operatesmuch like the first preferred embodiment. Depression of button 334activates microcontroller 312 which then outputs a pulse-width modulatedsignal corresponding to the lowest carrier frequency in the FM radioband. Microcontroller 312 monitors the output of the listener's radiothrough microphone 332. If the chirp signal is detected, the carrierfrequency of the chirp signal is measured by timing the processorexecution speed as described above. The corresponding frequency and timeof activation are then stored in memory. These stored physicalparameters are transmitted to the listener's computer through speaker330, as with the first preferred embodiment. If the chirp signal is notdetected, microcontroller 312 increases the pulse-width of the signalprovided to low-pass filter 316 such that the signal corresponds to thenext possible carrier frequency. This process described above isrepeated until the chirp signal is detected in the audio output of thelistener's radio.

Other embodiments of the sensing unit depend on the listener to specifythe frequency of the broadcast. FIG. 4 illustrates one such embodimentin the form of a common hand-held computer 210 having a touch-activatedscreen 212. According to the invention, hand-held computer is programmedto display buttons 214 on screen 212. Buttons 214 correspond to theparticular listener's preferred radio stations. When the listenerdesires more information about a particular broadcast, she simplytouches the pre-programmed buttons 214 corresponding to the radiostation to which the radio receiver is tuned. Hand-held computer 210 isprogrammed to store the radio station selected and the time it wasselected. The listener synchronizes hand-held computer 210 with astandard notebook or desktop computer by any suitable means or useshand-held computer 210 to communicate directly with the server of thepresent invention.

Yet another embodiment of the sensing unit of the present inventionincludes a software application activated by a button on the task bar ofa typical graphical user interface on the listener's computer. Thisembodiment has especial application in the context of Internet audio andvideo streams, where the listener is typically at or near her computer.In a preferred embodiment, when the listener clicks on the button on thetask bar, the task bar application presents the listener with a list ofstations in a pop-up menu. The application stores the selected broadcaststation and the time for subsequent transmission to the database.

Lastly, the listener may use the telephone to communicate observedphysical parameters directly to the server of the. present invention. Inthis embodiment, the listener notes the frequency of the broadcast andtelephones the server. The server prompts the listener for the frequencyand the time of the observation. The server may use the time of thephone call as a default time value, unless otherwise specified by thelistener. Additionally, the server may prompt the listener for thelocation of the observation or trace the location of the call throughconventional means, if possible.

As discussed above, the database for use with physical parametersidentifying radio broadcasts associates the physical parameters offrequency and time with data locations or URLs. In addition, a databasethat includes information relating to more than one geographic area mayalso include the broadcast area as an additional physical parameter. Thebroadcast area parameter could be provided by the listener aftertransmission of the observed physical parameters. Similarly, thebroadcast area could be a default value based upon the listener'sprofile or membership information. In addition, the sensing unit mayinclude a global positioning (GPS) unit providing the listener'sgeographic location when the user activates the sensing unit.

To construct the database for a particular geographic area, the playlists of participating or desired radio stations must be obtained. Atypical play list includes the song title, artist, and a starting time.A play list may also include information relating to the broadcast oradvertising. The play list data is used to associate data locations withthe physical parameters of time and frequency. For example, ahypothetical musical group named “RockBand” may have a web site denotedby the URL, http://www.rockband.com/.

A playlist from a particular radio station, broadcasting over the 102.1megahertz carrier frequency, reveals that RockBand's latest song willplay on May 30, 1999 at 13:05:32 (hh:mm:ss). According to the invention,the data location “http://www.rockband.com/” will be associated with thefrequency of 102.1 megahertz and the time of May 30, 1999 at 13:05:32.In one preferred embodiment, a record will be created that includes thefrequency of the broadcast, the start time of the song, the name of thesong and artist, and the associated data location or URL. As discussedabove, this record may also include the geographic area of the broadcaststation.

According to the invention, a server receives queries from a clientcomputer over a computer network or a direct dial-up connection andscans the database of the present invention for data locationscorresponding to received physical parameters. The server of the presentinvention may be implemented in hardware or software, or preferably acombination of both. In preferred form, the server is implemented incomputer programs executing on programmable computers each comprising atleast one processor, a data storage system (including volatile andnon-volatile media), at least one input device, and at least one outputdevice. In addition, the server of the present invention may also storethe results of each query to develop user profiles and other statisticaldata for subsequent use.

Additionally, other physical parameters may be employed in the radiobroadcasting context according to the present invention. In onepreferred embodiment, the physical parameter includes an audio signatureor “watermark” embedded in the digital recording data. The sensing unitof this embodiment is programmed to sense the watermark particular to asong or advertisement. The sensing unit stores the watermark uponactivation of the unit by the listener. The watermark comprises a uniqueidentification number. According to this embodiment, the server includesrecords having the unique identification number and at least onecorresponding data location or URL. Accordingly, a query that containsan identification number will return an associated data location.

Television Broadcasting

Another application of the present invention lies in televisionbroadcasting.

According to the invention, the server is configured similarly to thatdiscussed above in the radio broadcasting context. Each data locationhas corresponding physical parameters of time and channel frequency.Additional physical parameters may also include broadcast location.

The sensing unit for use with television broadcasting may beincorporated into the remote control unit of the user's television. Inone embodiment, the sensing unit stores the currently viewed televisionchannel in a buffer and includes a real-time clock. When the userpresses a button on the remote control that activates the sensing unit,the television channel and the signal from the clock are stored inmemory. In one embodiment, these stored physical parameters may betransmitted from the remote unit to a computer equipped with an infrareddevice.

Concert Poster and Other Bar Codes

Another embodiment of the present invention includes the use of barcodes or other graphical patterns to convey information. Accordingly,the observed bar codes or other graphical patterns are the physicalparameters observed by a sensing unit and communicated to the server ofthe present invention. The sensing unit of one preferred embodimentincludes a standard bar code reader and a means for storing the datacaptured by the bar code reader.

By way of example, a concert promoter typically advertises a particularconcert by, among other things, displaying posters in a particular area.According to the invention, a bar code or other graphical representationis provided on the poster. If the reader of the poster desires to find aweb site with ticket ordering or other information about the concert, heswipes the bar code reader of the sensing unit over the bar codeprovided on the poster. In one preferred embodiment, the bar code, whenread, provides a unique identification number, which the sensing unitstores in memory. When the user has access to a computer, theidentification number is transmitted to the server of the presentinvention, which returns the associated data location or URL.

As one can imagine, bar codes may appear in myriad locations. A vendorcould include a bar code in several locations at a trade show booth.Furthermore, many products already include bar codes expressing UPCinformation. This UPC information could similarly be associated with adata location pointing to the product manufacturer's web site. Inanother embodiment, a retail store can include bar codes on price tagsor stickers. A customer can walk through the retail store show room andscan the bar codes on the price tags using the sensing unit discussedabove. Later, when the customer has returned to her home, she maytransmit these stored physical parameters to her home computer andaccess the server of the present invention. The server returns the datalocation corresponding to the retail store's web site and a list of theitems scanned by the customer. The customer uses this list to orderthese products on the retail store's web site.

In yet another embodiment, the retail store price tag may include UPCinformation and a vendor identification number. The server of thisembodiment returns the data location of the product manufacturer's ordistributor's web site to the customer based on the product number. Whenthe customer orders the product through this web site, the vendoridentification number is also transmitted. This allows, for example, theretail store to receive a commission on the sale.

Real World Images

In another embodiment, the physical parameters are actual imagescaptured in the physical world. One such image for example, could be acar manufacturer's logo or emblem. The sensing unit of this embodimentincludes a digital camera that captures and stores images in digitalform. A user seeing a car that is of interest simply points the digitalcamera at the emblem appearing on the hood and captures the image. Theserver according to the invention compares the image captured by thedigital camera with digital images stored in its database. If a matchingimage is located, the server returns the associated data location, whichin this instance could be the car manufacturer's web site, a localdealer's web site, or both.

Business Card Link

Other embodiments of the present invention contemplate the exchange ofphysical parameters between sensing units. The sensing units of onepreferred embodiment store an identification number that is unique to aparticular individual or business entity and have the capability oftransmitting this identification number by means of an infrared or soundtransmitter. The sensing units of this embodiment also include theability to read and store the identification number transmitted by othersensing units. For example and in a preferred embodiment, each sensingunit includes an activator button. To exchange identification numbers,the sensing units are pointed at one another and the buttons depressedcausing an exchange of identification numbers. Thus, in this instance,the observed physical parameters are infrared or sonic signalsexpressing an identification number.

The server of the present invention stores an association between theseidentification numbers and corresponding data locations or URLs. In thismanner, two people can exchange links to each other's contactinformation. This information exchange is dynamic in the sense that,rather than exchanging the information itself, which may change overtime, links to information or data locations are exchanged. Therefore,while the link or data location remains the same, the informationcorresponding to the data location may be constantly refreshed.

Yet another embodiment features a retail store equipped with a radiobeacon that transmits infrared or sonic signals expressing anidentification number. When a customer is in the retail store, the usermay activate the sensing unit to sense the signal and store the retailstore's identification number. As above, the customer later transmitsthe identification number to the server of the present invention toretrieve a data location corresponding to that retail store.

Sightseer/Tourist Example—GPS System

Geographic location may be the primary physical parameter in a serverdesigned to assist sightseers and tourists. The sensing unit in thiscircumstance may comprise a hand-held or other portable computerequipped with a GPS unit. The user activates the sensing unit such thatit records the geographic location provided by the GPS unit. Of course,any suitable device for sensing geographic location may be used,including but not limited to radio-based systems, such as LORAN®, orother satellite receiver navigation systems. The user can also enterinto the hand-held computer such search terms as “restaurant,” “dining,”or “museums” and even a geographic radius within which information isdesired. The hand-held computer can then transmit the observedgeographic location together with other user-specified information tothe server of the present invention by any conventional means. Theserver then retrieves data locations or URLs corresponding to theobserved geographic location and the search terms entered by the user.In a preferred embodiment, the hand-held computer may include anInternet browser such that the user can access the desired informationimmediately subsequent to receiving the data locations from the server.

Movie Theater

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the observedphysical parameter is an audio signature embedded in the audio track ofa movie preview. The sensing unit of the present invention is configuredto recognize the audio signature and store it in memory upon activationby the user. Therefore, when the user desires more information about themovie being previewed, he simply activates the device during the moviepreview to store the audio signature. The server of the presentinvention in response to a data location request containing such audiosignature returns the data location corresponding to that particularmovie. The web site itself offers, for example, advance ticket sales, asound track of the movie on CD play times, promotional items, theaterlocations, and reviews.

SUMMARY

With respect to the above-provided description, one skilled in the artwill readily recognize that the present invention has application in avariety of contexts. The foregoing description illustrates theprinciples of the present invention and provides examples of itsimplementation. Accordingly, the description is not intended to limitthe scope of the claims to the exact embodiments shown and described.

1. A method for identifying an explicit data location on a computernetwork corresponding to a physical observation, wherein said physicalobservation includes at least one physical parameter, wherein saidphysical parameter(s) does not directly identify an explicit datalocation, said method comprising the steps of (a) associating a datalocation with a physical observation to allow selection of said datalocation based on said physical observation; and (b) selecting said datalocation based on said physical observation.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein the associating step (a) further includes the steps of (a1)accessing a database including a designation of a physical observationand an indication of the data location; and (a2) using the designationof the physical observation and the indication of the data location toassociate the data location with the physical observation to allowselection of the data location based on the physical observation.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the data location includes an Internet domainaddress.
 4. An apparatus for identifying an explicit data location on acomputer network corresponding to physical parameters, wherein saidphysical parameters do not directly identify an explicit data location,said apparatus comprising (a) data storage means for storing datalocations and physical parameters corresponding to said data locations;and (b) means for selecting a data location based on said correspondingphysical parameters.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprisingmeans for receiving physical parameters.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4further comprising means for transmitting data location to a clientcomputer.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising means fortransmitting data locations to a client computer.
 8. An apparatus foridentifying an explicit data location n a computer network correspondingto physical parameters, wherein said physical parameters do not directlyidentify an explicit data location, said apparatus comprising a databasehaving a list of data locations, said database storing associatedphysical parameters for corresponding ones of said data locations; aprocessor coupled to said database, said processor also being coupled toreceive a data location request containing physical parameters, saidprocessor accessing said database according to said physical parametersin said data location request to retrieve the data locationcorresponding to said physical parameters.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8wherein said processor is coupled to transmit a data location inresponse to said data location request.
 10. A method of identifying anexplicit data location based upon observed physical parameterscorresponding to a broadcast, wherein said physical parameters do notdirectly identify an explicit data location, said method comprising thesteps of (a) associating a data location with a first physical parameterand a second physical parameter to allow selection of said data locationbased upon said first and second physical parameters; said firstphysical parameter being broadcast frequency and said second physicalparameter being time, and (b) selecting said data location based uponsaid first and second physical parameters.
 11. The method of claim 10wherein the associating step (a) further includes the steps of (a1)accessing a database including a designation of first and secondphysical parameters and an indication of said data location; (a2) usingthe designation of said first and second physical parameters and saidindication of the data location to associate the data location with saidfirst and second physical parameters to allow selection of said datalocation based upon said first and second physical parameters.
 12. Anapparatus for identifying an explicit data location on a computernetwork corresponding to physical parameters, wherein said physicalparameters do not directly identify an explicit data location, saidapparatus comprising a database having a list of data locations, saiddatabase storing associated first and second physical parameters forcorresponding ones of said data locations; a processor coupled to saiddatabase, said processor also being coupled to receive a data locationrequest containing said first and second physical parameters, saidprocessor accessing said database according to said first and secondphysical parameters in said data location request to retrieve the datalocation corresponding to said first and second physical parameters;wherein said first physical parameter is broadcast frequency and saidsecond physical parameter is time.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 whereinsaid database further stores associated third physical parameters forcorresponding ones of said data locations; wherein said third physicalparameters is geographic location, and wherein said processor accessessaid database according to said first and second physical parameters insaid data location request to retrieve the data location correspondingto said first, second and third physical parameters.
 14. A method foridentifying an explicit data location on a computer networkcorresponding to physical parameters, wherein said physical parametersdo not directly identify an explicit data location, said methodcomprising the steps of: (a) observing a physical event or object bysensing at least one physical parameter; (b) transmitting said physicalparameter(s) to a database, said database having a list of datalocations, said database storing associated physical parameters forcorresponding ones of said data locations.
 15. The method of claim 14wherein said observing step (a) further includes storing said at leastone physical parameter.
 16. The method according to claim 14 whereinsaid observing step (a) comprises the steps of (a1) observing thebroadcast frequency to which a radio receiver is tuned; (a2) observingthe time at which said broadcast frequency was observed.
 17. The methodaccording to claim 16 wherein said transmitting stop (b) comprises (b1)transmitting said observed broadcast frequency and said observed timeaccording to steps (a1) and (a2), wherein said associated physicalparameters of said database include broadcast frequency and time forcorresponding ones of said data locations. 18-34. (canceled) 35 A systemfor identifying an explicit data location a computer networkcorresponding to physical parameters, wherein said physical parametersdo not directly identify an explicit data location, said systemcomprising A physical parameter data sensing unit comprising means forsensing a physical parameter, and means for communicating a datalocation request including said physical parameter; and a data locationidentifier operatively coupled to said data sensing unit comprising adatabase having a list of data locations, said database storingassociated physical parameters for corresponding ones of said datalocations; a processor coupled to said database, said processor alsobeing coupled to receive a data location request containing physicalparameters, said processor accessing said database according to saidphysical parameters in said data location request to retrieve the datalocation corresponding to said physical parameters. 36 The system ofclaim 35 wherein said physical parameter data sensing unit furthercomprises means for storing said physical data parameter. 37 A systemfor identifying an explicit data location on a computer networkcorresponding to physical parameters, wherein said physical parametersdo not directly identify an explicit data location, said system for useon an interactive network, comprising a physical parameter data sensingunit comprising means for sensing a physical parameter, and means forcommunicating physical parameters to a remotely located terminal, aremotely located terminal operatively connected to said data sensingunit, said remotely located terminal including means for communicating adata location request including said physical parameter; and a centrallylocated data location request processing unit, a database provided atsaid data location request processing unit, said database having a listof data locations, said database storing associated physical parametersfor corresponding ones of said locations; a processor coupled to saiddatabase, said processor also being coupled to receive a data locationrequest containing physical parameters, said processor accessing saiddatabase according to said physical parameters in said data locationrequest to retrieve the data location corresponding to said physicalparameters, and a communication network which interfaces said remotelylocated terminal with said centrally located data location requestprocessing unit, said communication network transferring said datalocation request from said remote terminal to said centrally locatedprocessing unit.